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4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. M. SMITH. PLAX THRASHBR.

(No Model.)

No. 478,542. Patented July 5, 1892.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. M. SMITH.

FLAX THRASHER.

No. 478,542. Patented July 5, 1892.

[Vii/268.968.-

752 kz s f/(orney (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. M. SMITH.

PLAX THRASHER. No. 478,542. PatentedJuly 5, 1892.

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JOHN M. SMITH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOPATRICK H. GUN CKEL, OF SAME PLACE;

FLAX-TH RASH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 478,542, dated July 5,1892.

Application filed August 31, 1891. Serial No. 404,175. (No model.)

rating flaxseed from its stalks; and the object of the invention is toproduce devices for efiecting such separation with the least injury tothe straw in order that the straw may be preserved in suitable conditionfor manufacturing purposes. This object is accomplished by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the front portion of an ordinary thrashing-machine pro-'vided with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of aportion of the devices of myimprovement. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is apartial transverse section on the line x 00 of Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 and 6are plan views of the top and bottom plates for supporting the devicesin place. 7

The devices of my improvement may be used in a special machine'adaptedto them or in connection with an ordinary thrashing-machine. They areillustrated in the drawings in connection with a machine of the lattercharacter. In such drawings 1 designates portions of the forward part ofthe frame of athrashing-machine of the character of the well-known Pittsmachine, from which the cylinder and concave have been removed. Thedevices of the improvement are placed in-the portion of the machineusually occupied by theconcave and cylinder.

The primary thrashing mechanism consists or nearly vertical position andco-operating in pairs as thrashing devices. The rollers of each pair arecaused to rotate in opposite d1- rections, so that the contiguous facesof the rollers of a pair move inwardly or toward the rear of themachine, and these faces are preferably a slight distance apart-say asixteenth of an inch, which is sufficient to grasp the flax-straws andcarry them through without permitting the bolls to pass throughuncrushed. The rollers of the series have their spindles 3 in boxes 4,that are supported, respectively, in an upper plate 5 and a lower plate6. The boxes are placed in openings 7 in these plates, and between theloose box-sections for adjacent pairs of rollers are spring devices 8,which permit such portions of the boxes to yield in direction away fromthe faces of co-operating pairs of rollers, so that when sticks or otherobjects thicker than flax-straws are inserted betweenth'e faces ofco-operating rollers each roller is adapted to yield in direction awayfrom the other, both at its upper and lower end, and when suchobstruction is removed both rollers will resume their normal positions.

The upper plate 5 is provided at its forward end with a series ofpointed tongues 9, be tween which are slots 10, extending rearward inthe plate for directing the straws to the engaging surfaces of therollers. In front of the rollers and parallel to them are V-shapeddeflectors 11, extending between rollers of adjacent pairs and coveringa portion of their outer surface, so as to prevent straws or otherobjects from being thrust in between rollers of adjacent pairs andpermitting them to enter only between rollers of co-operating pairs.These angular plates 11 extend from the base-plate to the top plate, andintermediate the angleplates are inclines 12 for directing the strawsslightly upward to prevent them from passing under the lower ends of therollers.

In feeding flax to the device for thrashing it the stalks are laid onthe tongues 9 at an inclination to the rollers and with the buttsinward. This is preferably done by setting the rollers at an inclinationabout as shown and feeding the straw by layingit on in about horizontalposition. Thus arranged the effect of the operation of the rollers isto'draw the straw inward, and at the same time work it toward the lowerends of the rollers as it is passing through, so that the upper ends ofthe engaging surfaces of the rollers are free to receive a second strawbefore the first has been passed entirely through. The upper ends of therollers are preferably tapered or rounded in order that the straw maypass the more readily to the engaging surfaces.

In rear of the series of rollers 2 is a second series of similar rollers2 (which, however, need not have their upper ends rounded,) and therollers of this second series serve to engage the ends of the advancingstraws before they have been entirely freed from the rollers of thefirst series to carry them onward in nearlyhorizontal position. Therollers of this second series are supported by the top and bottom platesin boxes similar to those of the first series, and intermediate the twoseries of rollers are vertical angular plates 11, similar to those atthe front and for a like purpose. In rear of the second series ofrollers are fingers 13, pendentfrom a shaft 14, to which longitudinalreciprocation is given by any well-known means for the purpose ofcausing the fingers to vibrate laterally between rollers of adjacentpairs to beatthe straw asit is fed through the second series of rollersand free it of any seeds, chaff, dust, or other matter that may beadherent. In case the straw becomes clogged on the fingers provision ismade to permit them to swing rearward by means of any suitable springdevice bearing against the shaft or against the box in which it has itsbearings. The normal working position of these fingers is shown by thedotted lines a,

parallel to the rollers,and the position to which they may swing by thedotted lines I) at a rearward inclination.

The fiaxseed, chaff, dust, and other matter freedfrom the straw whilethe latter is being passed through the rollers fall upon the lower plateand by reason of its inclination flow inward to the rear portion of theplate having perforations 15, which permit such matter to fall below toan apron 16 or other device for conducting it. away.

The straw after passing the last series of rollers passes between a pairof horizontal rollers 17, immediately in rear of the lower plate. Adeflector 18 (shown by dotted lines) serves to prevent straws from beingthrown above the rollers and they are prevented from falling below bythe lower plate. These latter rollers serve to deliver the straw fromthe thrashing mechanism on a horizontal plane, and from them it may bemade to pass onto the apron 16 or other conveyer. The upper of theserollers may beplaced with its shaft in the position usually occupied bythe cylinder-shaft in the thrashing-machine and the lower rollersupported in a box 18", guided in hangers 19. The box is supported by aspring 20 to permit the lower roller to yield when a thick mass of strawpasses between the two rollers. These hangers may be provided on sideplates 21, which also serve to inclose the sides of the plates 5 and 6and the operating-rollers, and which may be made to fit into the forwardportion of the frame of the thrashing-machine.

The several rollers of the first and second series may be driven bymeans of gear-wheels or by a worm-gear 22 orin any other wellknownmanner.

It will be apparent that while the devices of the improvement have beenillustrated and described in connection with an ordinarythrashing-machine they may also be used in connection with a machine ofspecial construction. My object in the present instance is only to showthe devices of the improvement in connection with one form of mechanismadapted to take carciof the product of its operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a flax-thrasher,the combination,with a series of relatively vertical rollersco-operating in pairs, of the angular guards intervening the pairs ofrollers at the front and the inclined tapering guides at the top fordirecting flax to the co-operating rollers, substantially as set forth.

2. In a flax-thrasher, a series of rollers having tapering ends arrangedin relatively vertical position with their tapering ends uppermost,devices for rotating them in opposite directions and causing them toco-operate in pairs as thrashers, and devices for directing the fia'x tothe upper ends of the rollers at an inclination to their axes, wherebythe flax is moved axially along the rollers as it is being carriedonward, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fiax-thrasher, a series of rollers in relatively verticalposition for thrashing the flax and conducting the straw inward invertical planes, and co-operating horizontal rollers for spreading it ona lateral plane, substantially as set forth.

4. A flax-thrashing mechanism comprising co-operating pairs of rollersin relatively Vertical position, devices for feeding the grain to theupper ends of the rollers, and upper and lower plates providing thebearings for the rollers, the said mechanism being adapted to beinserted in the space usually occupied by the concave and cylinder of anordinary thrashing-machine, substantially as set forth.

5. I11 a fiax-thrasher, a primary thrashing mechanism consisting of aseries of relatively vertical rollers co-operating in pairs, guidingdevices for feeding flax to their upper ends at an inclination to theiraxes, and a secondary thrashing and carrying mechanism consisting of acorresponding series of rollers co-operating in pairs and arranged totake the straw from the rollers of the first series and carry it onwardin vertical planes, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fiax-thrasher, a series of rollers hav ing their upper endstapering and arranged in relatively vertical position, means forrotating them in opposite directions, whereby they co-operate in pairsas thrashers, and slotted guides for directing the flax in downwarddirection to the space between the upper ends of the rollers of eachpair and causing it to be ried onward from one pair of rollers to thenext in horizontal direction,but in vertical layers, substantially asset forth.

8. In a flax-thrasher, a series of relatively vertical rollerseo-operating in pairs, and upper and lower plates providing bearings forthe rollers, and the former also providing the guides for directing theflax to the rollers, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination,with the series of rollers co-operating in pairs asthrashers, of the capplate providing the guides and slots for directingthe flax tothe heads of the rollers, substantially as set forth.

10. In a fiax-thrasher, a suitable frame-work, series of rollers inrelatively vertical position, devices for directing the flax to therollers, means in rear of the rollers for agitating the straw laterally,and means for spreading it, in combination with screening and conveyingdevices, substantially as set forth.

11. In a flax-thrasher, a series of rollers in nearly vertical positionand co-operating in pairs, and devices for feeding flax-stalks insubstantially horizontal position to them, substantially as set forth.

12. In a flax-thrasher, a series of rollers in nearly vertical positionand co-operating in pairs, devices for directing flax-stalks insubstantially horizontal position to them, and a second series ofco-operating rollers parallel to the first and arranged to engage andadvance the flax delivered by the rollers of the first series,substantially as set forth.

13. In a flax-thrasher, a series of rollers in nearly vertical positionand co-operating in pairs as thrashers, and guides intermediate thepairs of rollers, substantially as set forth.

14. The combination, with aseries of oppositelyrotating 00- operatingrollers in relatively vertical position and having their upper endstapering, of a series of guides proj ecting above and to the frontthereof for directing the flax in substantially horizontal position tothe upper ends of the pairs of rollers, substantially as set forth.

15. In a flax-thrasher, a plurality of series of rollers, those ofeach'series co-operating in pairs, arranged to carry the straw onward invertical planes, means for agitating the straw as it passes from thelast of said rollers, and means for spreading the straw laterally afterit has passed the agitating device, substantially as set forth.

16. In a fiax-thrasher, a plurality of series of co-operatingsubstantially vertical rollers arranged in corresponding verticalplanes, and guiding devices at the sides and top and bottom of the pairsof rollers for directing the straw, substantially as set forth.

JOHN M. SMITH.

Witnesses:

P. H. GUNCKEL, A. L. J ONES.

